The eponymous debut 4 track EP from The 3 Clubmen, a new project comprised of Andy Partridge, Jen Olive and Stu Rowe.

 

The culmination of a decade of antics from these longtime collaborators, the EP is an avant-pop delight offering a seductive blend of experimental pop, jazz and sci-fi soundtrack strangeness.

 

While each artist has worked with the others in some form since 2008, The 3 Clubmen marks the first time that Stu, Andy and Jen have combined forces as a trio, an inevitable partnership once described as “a three-headed Frankenstein's monster dancing at a neurodivergent singles club”.

 

CD in 4-panel digisleeve, released on Swindon's Lighterthief label. Artwork by Carl Glover.

 

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"Like an 'action painter' throws colour at a canvas, we tend to throw musical and sound things, knowing that we'll cut through this seemingly insane mess later, to hopefully find some beautiful garden, hiding there," says Andy Partridge.

 

"I throw paint, Jen throws paint, Stu throws paint...and we walk away. If, when we return, something in there calls to us, we'll move heaven and earth to get it out and let it breath. Using whatever it takes, be it contrary musical ideas, parts in clashing keys incongruous sounds, contradictory words/phrases. Its all clay to us."

 

"The Clubmen project is something I’ve been messing about with for years - it's the one thing that everyone who hears it says I should finish. It was great fun to make and I think we’ve managed to create something really quite interesting between all three of our musical sensibilities," says Stu Rowe.

 

Jen Olive adds, "The joy is it… so much humor… the lyrics reflect the spirit of the conversations… the call and response. There’s an ecstatic quality to it. it's thrilling to have people share in that.”

 

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Native to Los Angeles, musician-songwriter Jen Olive has a series of albums to her name, in addition to writing and recording for A&M Records and contributing music to various American Film Institute projects. Her latest solo release was 2022's Stu Rowe-produced single 'Two Futures'.

 

A key player on Swindon’s music scene, Stu Rowe has supported many artists as a guitarist, bassist and producer. Apart from Patridge and Jen Olive, these include Shriekback (Barry Andrews), Peter Blegvad, Paul Weller, Colin Moulding, The Future Sound of London (The Amorphous Androgynous), and TC&I.

 

The Clubmen saga begins in 2006, when Andy and Stu first worked on  'Monstrance', riding on a mutual fascination with experimental music production. A bi-weekly ritual soon emerged, starting at Stu’s Lighterthief  Bunker studio and ending at the local pub, which resulted in sonic explorations and improvised recordings. A series of musical sketches gradually formed, setting the stage for Jen’s later involvement.

 

With interest reignited during the pandemic after being put on hold and largely forgotten, the trio decided to finish what they’d started all those years ago, resulting in their debut 4-track effort.

 

Signing to Andy’s label APE HOUSE Records in 2008 after recording her 'Warm Robot' album, Jen contributed lyrics and vocals on 'Up On Hi' and 'My Dream Sea', penned by Rowe and Partridge for Lighterthief's 'Trick Picture' and 'Hard Listening' EPs (released on APE HOUSE).

 

It would only be in 2010 when the threesome were finally able to work together in person. The chemistry was instant, the room was buzzing and the ideas flowed. Over pints at The Roaring Donkey pub, they dubbed their project “The 3 Clubmen” after the local defence volunteer groups formed during the English Civil War. Clubmen protected themselves from both armies by fighting on their own side - the name seemed to fit.